If American Jewish history’s your thing, The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah has it covered with their November scholar in residence weekend featuring Jonathan Sarna, Ph.D.

Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University, is well known for his books, especially “American Judaism: A History” and “When General Grant Expelled the Jews.” He is also the chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History.

“I think it’s really important to bring (scholars) to the Midwest,” said Mary Davidson Cohen, who is sponsoring the weekend. “We have a proud heritage, and that heritage is not just in Europe.”

He’ll focus on American Jewish history during his sermon at the Friday night service Nov. 16.

“What’s really significant is that I’m going to be talking about General Order 11 and the whole history of Jews in the Civil War,” Sarna said. “This is the 150th anniversary of the order in which Ulysses S. Grant expelled Jews from his war zone, the most notorious official act of anti-Semitism in American history, the only time Jews as a class were expelled from anywhere in the United States. Many people don’t know about it.”

Sarna said that after President Abraham Lincoln overturned the expulsion order, Grant apologized and when he was president later on, he appointed more Jews to government positions than anyone else had and went out of his way to be sensitive to Jews.

The other main topic he’ll talk about, mostly during his Saturday lunch and learn session is a letter from George Washington to the Jews of Newport, R.I.

The letter, which Sarna said champions “no sanction for persecution and insists that it’s not just toleration that will (create) religious liberty in the United States. It’s an inherent natural right.”

Sarna will tie that letter into a discussion of how Judaism developed in the early years of this country.

“I don’t think most American Jews have had the opportunity to learn a lot about their history,” Sarna said. “My sense is that many people don’t realize the extent to which Jews were a part of America’s history from the colonial period onward and what the central aspects of that history are and why that’s important.”

According to Sarna, both Washington’s letter and Grant’s order are important to consider when one examines the growth of American Judaism.

“George Washington’s letter helps shape a certain kind of America in terms of the religious character he helped to define. Similarly, General Order 11 was a central issue in the 1868 election when Grant ran for president,” Sarna said.

As a first generation American, Sarna said his interest in history was natural.

“Someone once claimed I went into the one field my father, who was a famous scholar, knew nothing about. But I’ve really been interested in American Jewish history going on 40 years,” he said. “It’s about how Jewish history in the United States was intertwined with the history of the country as a whole … Jews have a played a significant role at different moments in American history, a role that members of the Jewish community should know about (and) anyone (studying) American history should know about.”

Sarna said he’s excited to be speaking at B’nai Jehudah, as he has admired the book local author Frank Adler wrote about the synagogue’s history, which he called “one of the finest synagogue histories we have.”

“Anyone who really wants to understand the history of the synagogue can read his volume, which is based on really fabulous research,” Sarna said. “He understands the significance of the history of the congregation for understanding the history of American Judaism in general.”

Professor Sarna’s schedule of events

Jonathan Sarna will be speaking throughout the weekend of Nov. 16-17 at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. Events include:

Friday, Nov. 16, 6 p.m. Sarna will give the sermon at Erev Shabbat Services.

Saturday, Nov. 17, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Morning service with a d’var Torah from Sarna. He will speak again at a Kiddush lunch and study session after worship.

Those wishing to attend the lunch and learn, which is free, should call 913-663-4050 to reserve a spot.